East Jerusalem, Palestine 6 July 2002
Watching the fireworks from afar off, I sat and remembered America. America is withdrawing a large amount of their funds to the international NGO humanitarian groups and causing a ripple effect within the donor communities. The European donors are concerned to donate funds due to the ideology that donors have with matching or donating funds that are given from other countries. The American fight against terrorism has evolutionized to withholding or withdrawing funding to those who may be doing work near of in the region where the said terrorist communities reside. The local population needs assistance at an increased level as long as the current occupation exists. The poverty rate in Gaza is 80% who are currently $340.00 US dollars per month. The poverty rate is increasing inside of the West Bank cities at a rapid rate. Closures and curfews are a main cause for this increase.
West Bank agricultural fields are rotting and burning in the sun. The sheep are dying because they cannot be fed or graze in the hillsides. In Gaza, no one can purchase fish because it is too expensive for the local communities because the fisherman can’t go out and fish from their boats. The famous Nablus soap is piled to the ceiling hoping for the day they can export, outside of their own city to other west bank cities. Olive oil production plants are stocking olive oil bottles ready for shipment in offices and other storage units due to the overflow and lack of permission to continue exporting.
People are being shot in their homes and cannot receive medical attention because the medical teams cannot leave the hospital; the hospitals are empty because no one can get there. The husband repairs the gun shot wound of his 12 year old son and does the best he can while the wife cries in panic. The siblings look out of the window and memorize the numbers written on the tanks that are parked across the street while Israeli soldiers occupy their neighbor’s house. They make up names for each soldier that goes in and out of the home and they discuss which soldier looks nice and which one looks mean.
After the father provides medical attention to the wound of his son with an untrained eye, he receives a telephone call from his co-worker from another city. He tells his boss that everything is okay and apologizes for the lack of being able to finish some reports because he cannot get into the office. He asks his boss to email him copies of the reports and information so he can work from his home in an unconscious attempt to maintain some since of normalcy. His boss complies and tells him not to worry about the reports.
Families are locked up together inside of their homes with their 4-6 year old children who are escalating with restlessness due having to remain inside a small contained area for such a long time. Children questions while they are bopping up and down on the couch or climbing on top of the table, “Why can’t I go outside? I want to ride my bike.” The parents attempt to keep them busy throughout the entire day and night but the tension continues to grow. Parents try to explain that it is not safe for them to go an play in their own yard without creating fear in the child’s mind about the foreign tanks and trucks that roam the streets. A recent study compiled by Ben Gurion University, has revealed that 70% of Palestinian children suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
God Bless America and President Bush.
Mohammad didn’t help the cause much when he decided to enter into the LA airport and attempt to shoot a bunch of people. Israeli newspapers blasted “Terrorist attack in LA” mentioning the rise of anti-Semitism in the world and how the Jews are being threatened. Do they stop to ask why? I don’t think so. This gives reason for the “War Against Terrorism” and “Operation (I call) Depletion” to continue while the world stumbles along in its ignorance.
One humanitarian worker told me last night that in the last few weeks during the latest siege, she was refused a total of 28 times so far at checkpoint attempting to bring in medical supplies and food to the destitute towns. I did a little math: there is a group of 30 International NGO humanitarian agencies attempting to enter into the Military Zone cities during this current siege, if all 30 orgs are denied 28 times that makes a total of 840 humanitarian aid refusals.
The shelves are bare and scattered with a few reminders of food from rushed and hectic purchases during the sporadic curfew lifts and lack of replacement from lack of deliveries from checkpoint refusals. “The Palestinian as individuals are on their last legs, the people are on their last string” was the cry at the latest press conference called by the NGO group (IDA?) in hopes the world will wake up to the crumbling civilization that is occurring in the Holy Land. The message didn’t seem to get across, misguided headlines read, “NGO’s accuse Israel of Refusal to deliver Humanitarian Aid.” Notice the word, “Accuse”, this is a strong usage of the word: to blame, lay blame on to charge or indict. They could have said, “Israel Denies Entrance to Humanitarian Workers” or “Palestinian Starvation Rises while Israel Denies Humanitarian Workers “
This is a perfect example of Media’s play on words that set a negative connotation towards Humanitarian Organizations that are known for their moral justices and relief aid. One journalist asked the question, “Do you have a security check procedure for your aid workers that deliver the medical supplies and food into the West Bank cities?” Wait, what kind of question is that? First of all, delivering medical aid and food into an unbalanced war torn area is not something most people want to do. Most people do not want to risk being shot at or stuck inside during the F-16 and apache helicopter attacks. It is obvious that this journalist has never been in a convoy that delivers food into a war torn area. The place is a ghost town and all the people are caged inside. The only living things on the streets are tanks, the caravan and cats. The caravans go in, unload their products and quickly leave in hopes that nothing happens while they are there. The Humanitarian Workers that deliver the medical aid and food should all be given medals of honor, for their perseverance, persistence, and bravery for doing what they do.
I know the plan, Israel is suffering economically and they can sell their food inside of the West Bank cities to help their own struggling economy. During the last incursion that lasted for 40 days, only Israeli products were allowed inside for resale. This time, the problem is worsened because income-earning capacities are plunging inside of the West Bank, soon curfews will be lifted for a few hours for shopping and no one will be able to purchase anything for lack of money. The homemade gardens that were planted as a safety net for family food are dying due to lack of ability to maintain them. Starvation and poverty are becoming the norm. What a plan Sharon has for his people at the expense of an entire population. God Bless Israel.
